It often happens that the patient goes to the doctor to find out why the back hurts in the lumbar region. Very often, such a pain syndrome is faced by those who spend a lot of time in their summer house, their own garden. Constantly repairing the house and sparing no effort on the plot, people thereby undermine their health. A day or two of hard work, and now it is impossible to stand up without excruciating pain. However, in some cases pain indicates the presence of other pathologies. To determine the appropriate treatment strategy, you must first discover the root cause of the pain.
Possible factors: is everything serious?
To find a good treatment for a problem, you must first identify its cause. The back in the lumbar region hurts on the left, right or even causes pain in the waist, if the person has impaired kidney function and health, osteochondrosis has developed, and neuralgia is observed. There is a possibility of acute pancreatitis. Each described condition requires a thorough approach to treatment, and it is advisable to consult a doctor. Trying to choose a therapy for yourself, you can harm your health, the condition will become even worse. If you come to the doctor, he will assess the symptoms at the reception, formulate a preliminary diagnosis and send him for studies that will confirm or refute the assumption.
Kidneys hurt
If the back hurts a lot in the lumbar region, there is a possibility of pyelonephritis. The term refers to the creation of a focus of inflammation in an organ. If the disease is non-infectious, glomerulonephritis can be diagnosed. Sometimes the pain syndrome indicates the appearance of stones in the kidneys and ducts. The processes of their formation, as well as movement, cause quite strong discomfort.
Often the disease develops against the background of hypothermia, it can be preceded by a cold. It is observed that people who adhere to strict diets are more likely to suffer from kidney disease. In many ways, the symptoms of kidney pathologies and the condition called "broken back" are similar. There are a number of specific symptoms that allow you to more accurately identify the pathology. If the kidneys are sick, the sensations do not depend on load, activity, movements. Many have a fever, the urine becomes cloudy, the shade changes. Some notice an increased urge to urinate, the process itself is accompanied by pain. It is lightly tapped with the edge of the hand near the kidney, the area will react with severe pain.
How to help yourself?
If the back of a man, woman, child has pain in the lower back, if there is reason to suspect kidney disease, it makes sense to contact a local doctor, call him home. Kidneys are extremely important elements for the functioning of the human body, so unjustified risks are unacceptable. While waiting for the arrival of a specialist, you can try to alleviate the manifestations of the disease. The patient is made to lie down or sit as comfortably as possible, they are given a means to reduce heat if the temperature exceeds 38 degrees. To relieve the pain a little, you can take an antispasmodic. If the patient needs a change of position, he should be assisted. In addition, it is reasonable to monitor blood pressure and body temperature.
It happens that people are convinced that they know for sure if the back hurts in the lumbar region, what to do: you need to immediately apply a warm compress or put the patient in a warm bath. In case of kidney disease, such procedures are strictly prohibited. Any rewarming will drastically worsen the patient's condition. If a person has developed pyelonephritis, it activates the focus of inflammation. The patient's task is to wait for the arrival of the specialist. The doctor will examine the patient and recommend further actions.
Pancreatitis
If the back hurts in the lumbar region, in a man, woman, child, the cause may be pancreatitis. Pathology can be suspected if the pain surrounds, creating the feeling that it comes from the left half of the body, the hypochondrium. It is possible to cover the back, abdomen - this is how rings of pain are formed. For some, pancreatitis causes severe pain near the belly button. If the pathology proceeds atypically, the patient has back pain - lower back and slightly higher. This nature of pain syndrome localization often causes incorrect initial diagnosis.
Assuming pancreatitis, it is necessary to call a doctor. While you are waiting for a specialist, you will have to completely refuse food - during the inflammatory process, food can drastically worsen the condition. The caregiver should help the patient to take a comfortable position; as much as possible, to provide comfort and tranquility to the person. You can drink some water without additives, but only in moderation. It is recommended not to leave the patient, to constantly monitor the change in condition until the specialist arrives. It is believed that the pain is somewhat less if you curl up in the position characteristic of the embryo.
Osteochondrosis
If the back in the lower back is very painful, the cause was probably the disease of the cartilage of the joints that connect the elements of the spinal column. The pathological process is associated with pinching of nerve roots - this is what becomes the source of pain. According to doctors, the probability of developing the disease is high for each of our compatriots over the age of 30. In recent years, osteochondrosis is increasingly diagnosed in young people, and it is also detected in adolescents.
To cause an attack of pain, you can lift a heavy object, stay in a forced, uncomfortable position for a long time. The probability of developing pathology is higher if a person drives a car for a long time, sits a lot and moves little in everyday life. It is possible to suspect osteochondrosis if the pain syndrome spreads to the leg, while a burning sensation is felt in the lower back. If you try to move, the pain intensifies. This follows any load and a simple change in body position. Cracking, burning sensation is possible. Osteochondrosis can be replaced if the buttocks and legs are characterized by reduced sensitivity, and if a stable posture is maintained for a long time, it is difficult to change it. Many people have disturbed thermoregulation of their limbs, their legs sweat a lot, and the feeling of cold disturbs them.
Case characteristics and first aid
If the back, lower back, spine hurts, and there is no temperature, and the manifestations are similar to those described above, if there is no doubt that the cause of the pain is the spinal column, you can give yourself first aid with simple means. The patient is covered with a warm woolen scarf or tied with a heating scarf and placed to lie down on a hard, flat surface. In the absence of the effectiveness of such measures, it is possible to lubricate the lower back with non-hormonal ointments in order to alleviate the course of the inflammatory process. The doctor can prescribe systemic treatment with non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs. Medicines containing meloxicam and ibuprofen are usually prescribed.
Do not take analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs on an empty stomach. The active components contained in the medicines irritate the gastric mucosa, can cause peptic ulcer, gastritis.
If there is no exact certainty that the cause of the pain is precisely osteochondrosis, it is necessary to visit a doctor for diagnosis. Unjustified self-medication with non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs will certainly cause the condition to worsen. This will be especially pronounced if the patient has pancreatic disease, a disorder in the gastrointestinal tract.
Safety first
If the back hurts in the lumbar region, what to treat, the doctor will tell. You can not try to "adjust" the spine, it will worsen the pain, there is a possibility of serious damage to the back. If osteochondrosis has passed into an acute phase, heating should be avoided. Hot baths are not allowed. We will have to give up saunas and baths. Warming up at first gives a feeling of relief, but soon the pain comes with a new force. If symptoms suggestive of osteochondrosis appear frequently, it is necessary to make an appointment with a neurologist. The doctor will give you a referral for an MRI. Such an image will allow you to assess the condition of the lumbar spine and determine how best to deal with the root cause of the pain.
If osteochondrosis caused pain during physical exertion, while a person was taking an anesthetic or a drug to stop inflammatory activity, it is very likely that the condition will soon become much better. Even if the pain is completely gone, you should not return to your previous activity. A sick back should be allowed to rest for a while. The best option is bed rest.
Neuralgia
There are a huge number of different manifestations of how the lower back hurts - when lying on the back, walking, bending over. In some cases, the cause is an inflammatory process affecting the nerve fibers. It is possible to assume neuralgia by manifestations similar to the symptoms of osteochondrosis described above. With any physical activity, the back immediately reacts with pain, even light movement is difficult for the patient, and the need to move causes fear. There are a number of characteristics that make it possible to suspect what exactly caused the pain and to distinguish neuralgia from pinched nerve endings that provide spinal sensitivity.
With osteochondrosis, a person is subconsciously afraid to move, because the back gives pain to any action. Neuralgia also has this feature, but the pain will spread along the nerve that caused it, and the sensations themselves are described as a twitching sensation. Perhaps unpredictable relief of the condition and return of pain when the person is calm, motionless. Sometimes convulsions occur against the background of neuralgia, muscle pains and a change in skin tone are disturbing. In some, the work of the glands that produce sweat is disturbed. By pressing on the back, the pain immediately covers both halves of the body symmetrically.
Help functions
If you have severe back or lower back pain, only a qualified doctor will tell you what to do. The pain syndrome caused by neuralgia is quite difficult to rule out, and at the same time it is necessary to take measures to improve the patient's condition, because constant pain can cause mental deviations. To alleviate the pain to some extent, the doctor will prescribe non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs. In some cases, they prefer to stay on drugs containing ibuprofen, meloxicam. The patient is shown to rest.
If the patient goes to the doctor because his back hurts a lot, the lower part of the back, what to do should be decided by a qualified specialist. Based on the specifics of the case, hospitalization may be recommended. This measure is resorted to if the sensations are very strong. In the hospital environment, a blockade will be made for the needy with the help of novocaine.
Traits and pains
It also happens that a person breaks his back and his lower back hurts. What to do in such a situation, the doctor will also tell you. This will depend on the severity of the damage. Sometimes rest is enough, in other cases the help of a surgeon is needed. It is known that pain often follows a period of rest after a long training session or an unreasonably heavy load. Pain can be caused by awkward, unsuccessful movements. It is known that people who are under stress complain of pain more often, as well as those who, due to the nature of their work, sit for a long time, especially in front of the computer. The back often hurts in those who train too actively, spend a long time standing, suffer from excess weight. Pain in the lower back almost always accompanies pregnancy and disturbs for some time after the birth of the child.
There are also situations when, in general, you don't have to figure out what to do: the back hurts in the lumbar region, but quite weakly, over time everything passes by itself. If the attack is one-time, not too strong, preceded by an obvious causative factor (for example, prolonged work in the summer house), you just need to rest and wait for the pain to disappear. If the pain comes in attacks, periods, long-term worries, it is necessary to consult a doctor, because it is impossible to independently determine what is causing the sensations.
Reasons: primary and secondary
Primary pain occurs if there is spinal disease. Such a syndrome is possible if a person has developed spondylarthrosis, spondylosis. Possible hernia or protrusion. Secondary pain syndrome follows fractures, tumor processes, prolonged muscle tension. This kind of pain can be caused by diseases (kyphosis, arthritis, tuberculosis), there is a possibility of a narrowed spinal canal, osteomyelitis and a malignant process. Pain in the lower back is possible with ovarian cysts, endometriosis. The doctor must clarify all the factors of the case, checking the patient's condition to know what to do. Back pain in the lumbar region in people suffering from cystitis, in patients with scoliosis and osteoarthritis. Scheuermann-Mau disease can cause pain. In some women, the pain indicates complications in the delivery of the fetus.
Should you rush to the doctor?
There are certain signs of pain that indicate the need to seek qualified help as soon as possible. Therefore, if the lower part of the back reacts with pain while walking, coughing, sneezing lead to a worsening of sensations, while the sensations spread to the lower extremities, it is necessary to schedule an examination with a neurologist. It will also help if the lower back hurts, the sensations are dull, the back hurts, the pain spreads to the legs, it is more noticeable when coughing and moving. Probably, such symptoms indicate sciatica, but a person needs the most timely help from a doctor, so you should not delay contacting the clinic.
A traumatologist can tell you what to do if your back hurts in the lower back, if the sensations appeared against the background of stretching muscles or lifting too heavy an object. For such reasons, as well as pain due to hypothermia and exposure to drafts, it is first necessary to use creams that activate blood flow for three days at home. If the condition does not improve during this period, you need to make an appointment with a doctor.
Measures and time
For three days you can try to help yourself with back pain, lumbago. According to doctors who know exactly what to do if their lower back hurts, those who are forced to work hard because of their activities often have such symptoms. The pain usually goes away on its own within a few days after exercise, although in rare severe cases it can last for weeks. To relieve the condition, it is necessary to use analgesics, to rest. It is necessary to experimentally determine in which position the pain is the weakest. The first two days you should provide yourself with bed rest. If the sensations do not pass for three days, they are registered with the doctor.
Possible pain syndrome on the background of myositis. Such a pathological process is usually preceded by hypothermia or strong muscle tension. The area reacts with stiffness, sensations are sharp, especially strong when trying to move. Your doctor will also tell you the best thing to do if your lower back hurts for this reason. Doctors advise that you first take a warm shower, find suitable warm clothes and completely abandon any physical activity. For the first three days, use ointments that relieve the inflammatory process, relieve pain. If the sensations do not go away, make an appointment with a doctor.
The chronicle also radiates pain
About what to do if the back hurts in the lower back due to spondylosis, the doctor will say only after a careful assessment of the patient's condition. The disease is indicated by a strong, sharp pain syndrome, the lower part of the back hurts, the legs are weak and numb. With such manifestations, you should immediately make an appointment with a neurologist.
Ankylosing spondylitis can cause pain. A possible reason is metabolic failure or oncological pathology. You will not be able to help yourself in any of these options, it is necessary to consult a qualified specialist and a detailed examination of the body.
It also happens that a person is sure that the pain is localized in the lumbar spine, but the real reason is the malfunctioning of an internal organ. Radiating pain is possible if the pathology is localized in the pelvis, gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. Often the pain is given by the lower back with cancer. It is impossible to postpone a visit to the doctor if the syndrome lasts longer than three days, if it was preceded by an injury, if, in addition to the lumbar part, the foot and lower leg also hurt. In the case when the pain is accompanied by numbness of the limbs, inguinal region, it is also impossible to postpone contacting the clinic.
How to check?
If your back hurts in the lumbar region in the morning, this can be considered a sufficient reason to consult a specialist. First, you can go to a local therapist. The doctor will give instructions for tests and instrumental examinations, redirect to a highly qualified doctor based on the details of the case. The most accurate diagnosis is usually made by a neurologist. To do this, you need to get the results of an MRI, EKG and ultrasound examination. Blood and urine samples are checked in a laboratory. In some cases, it is necessary to study the puncture of the spinal cord, if malignant diseases are suspected, tissue samples are taken for biopsy.
How will they be treated?
Many are afraid to go to the doctor if their back hurts in the lumbar region in the morning, because they believe that the doctor will immediately send them to surgery. Today there are many effective methods for the treatment of various diseases of the spinal column. There is a method that uses waves and magnetic fields. Using a medication designed to treat joints can help. Rehabilitation simulators are designed to quickly restore mobility. With severe pain and the need to stop inflammation and spasm, the doctor will make a blockade.
Drug treatment for back pain includes taking oral and injectable medications. Often such treatment is combined with physiotherapy - this increases effectiveness. Prescribe drugs to relieve swelling, relieve stiffness, remove the focus of inflammation. Since all such drugs have a wide list of contraindications and possible side effects, self-medication with them is strictly prohibited.